Remediation Cost

Published ranges · EPA size rules · state licensing cited

What will mold or water damage cost to fix?

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  1. 1Attic mold$1,000–$4,000
  2. 2Bathroom mold$500–$1,000
  3. 3Wall mold$1,000–$20,000
  4. 4Basement water$500–$2,800

What this site answers

Remediation Cost puts three kinds of public figures side by side for mold, water, flood and fire damage: the cost ranges that published consumer cost guides print (with the guide and its update date named), the size thresholds in EPA's mold guidance, and the licensing rules in the states that regulate mold work, quoted from the statute. Averages from insurers' claim data add scale. Where no public figure exists, the page shows the rule or the scope instead of a guess.

Mold removal cost7 locations, average $2,369, $10–$25 per sq ft. Water damage by area8 areas, average job $3,868. Water damage by city14 cities, $2,732 to $10,387 average. Fire damage by home size6 sizes, average job $27,477. Mold licensing by state5 jurisdictions, statute cited.

The 10 square foot line

EPA's homeowner guidance says “If the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (less than roughly a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), in most cases, you can handle the job yourself.” (U.S. EPA, Mold Cleanup in Your Home) Its remediation guide adds limited containment from 10 to 100 sq ft and full containment above 100. Florida and New York use the same 10 sq ft figure as the point where a hired company needs a license; the DIY limits guide sets the rules side by side.

EPA smallunder 10 sq ftEPA medium10–100 sq ftEPA largeover 100 sq ft
EPA size categories for mold cleanup, in square feet of affected surface (large drawn to 150 for scale).

Testing, drying and insurance

On testing, EPA says “In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary.” (U.S. EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home) and CDC says “CDC does not recommend mold testing.” (CDC, About Mold) Mold inspections still have a published price: $689 on average in Angi's guide (test vs inspection). On drying, “It is important to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth.” (U.S. EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home) On insurance, the Texas Department of Insurance notes that policies “policies also won’t cover mold removal, except to repair damage caused by a covered risk” (Texas Department of Insurance, Homeowners insurance guide), and FEMA's FloodSmart says “National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood insurance policies will not cover damage from mold.” (FEMA FloodSmart (NFIP), Document damage and start clean up) The insurance guide sets out what that means.

Fire and lightning$88,170Water damage and freezing$15,400Wind and hail$14,747Theft$5,524All other$9,043
Average homeowners claim by cause, 2019-2023 (Insurance Information Institute). Bar lengths are to scale.

How the figures are checked

Every number on the site comes from a data file that records its source, URL and the date it was read; the tool, tables, charts and pages are generated from those files. The methodology page lists every source and what was left out. Remediation Cost is an information and referral service: it does not do remediation work, and no phone line is published until a licensed provider in your area has been verified.